Fasting is an easy way to lose weight. And there are endless number of diet plans on it for weight loss. ProLon diet is one of them. But this is more tempting because in this there is fasting with food. Confused? Read on to grab all the details here.
The ProLon diet
ProLon diet is an unusual weight loss plan in which there is fasting but it is with food. It is a five days meal program. You will not be able to resist it.
This diet is a fast-mimicking type of diet. Which means that you are fasting but having limited amounts of foods. In this, due to calories deficit, your body metabolism switches to utilize other mode of energy instead of food glucose. Therefore, in the first 24 hours, it is glycogen from the liver that the body uses. And after this, it starts using the fat deposits of the body. This fats burning helps lose weight.
The ProLon diet meal packets (Source: Up and Alive)In the five days of the plan, you have to rely on and consume the prepackaged meals that come with this plan. These foods are all plant based and gluten free and also non-GMO products. They contain no artificial additives. The foods were created after many years of research and studies on it and come with effective results.
The diet plan
Valter Longo, the director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles created this diet. Mayo Clinic and the Texas-based MD Anderson Cancer Center are it’s collaborative partners. He and his team conducted animal and human studies for more than 10 years before patenting this plan. It pushes body into fasting mode with no compromise on nourishment.
There are claims that this diet has control over and regulates the body’s nutrients sensing pathway. Fasting produces autophagy which prolongs life. A study on this diet vs control group in 2019 showed that those on this diet for five days a month for three months lost weight but lean mass was preserved.
The ProLon diet prepackaged meals (Source: Weight matters)Their blood pressure, cholesterol, and CRP (an inflammatory marker) came down. There was increase in stem cell production. It also reduced insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) which carries cancer risk. Results were maintained even after three months of diet completion.
There are 1100 calories of foods on day 1 and 750 calories on day 2 to 5. These contain dried soup blends, nut and cocoa-based bars, olives and kale flax crackers, and supplements such as algal oil (plant-based omega-3 fatty acids) and a multivitamin/mineral. There is herbal teas and a large water bottle for sipping a flavored glycerol-based drink. This keeps you full from day 2 to 5.
Health benefits and contraindications
The diet is easy and convenient because all foods are ready to eat. No meal planning needed. But individual effects vary. Some may feel hungry on the diet while for others the five days are easily completed. Those with higher BMIs get the most benefit.
The ProLon diet (Source: Pinterest)Read here: What is SlimFast diet? Diet plan, safety, pros and cons!
Overall health improvement is noticeable in most people on this diet. Avoid heavy exercises or long distance travel with this diet. People under 18 years and above 70 years should avoid this plan. If one has comorbid conditions, this plan is not for them. Also during active infection, pregnant state or breastfeeding, do not do this plan. Those with eating disorders should avoid it. It is also a costly plan to follow.